"HOW WILL THIS REFLECT ON THE FAMILY" LOKEEN KEE KEHAN GAY? INDO-CANADIAN PARENTS AND ADOLESCENTS: INTERGENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AND HEALTH FACTORS by NOREEN MARIE LERCH B.Sc.N., The University of Victoria, 1987 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (The School of Nursing) We/accept this tjhesis as conforming^to^ne required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA August 1996 ©NOREEN MARIE LERCH, 1996 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of FaciAJSTY OP A/gAS^fr The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada DE-6 (2/88) 11 ABSTRACT In this study, intergenerational conflict or disagreement between Indo-Canadian parents and their daughters was examined. The purpose was to elicit participants' perceptions of conflicts or disagreements as experienced within the context of their culture and as described by themselves, to identify health problems which participants believed to be related to the issues, to identify processes that families use to seek solutions, and to identify implications for nursing, health practice and research. The questions were addressed through a qualitative ethnographic approach. The study was guided by the writings of Anderson (1985, 1990), Kleinman, (1978) and Leininger (1978,1991) and Kleinman's Explanatory Model Framework of the Socio-Cultural Context of Health (1978). For data collection, two sources of data were used. In-depth semi-structured interviews with Indo-Canadian parents and with Indo-Canadian adolescents and young women were conducted over a period of ten weeks. Participant observation at three Indo-Canadian youth and parent symposia provided another rich source of data. The researcher actively participated in discussion groups of parents and adolescents and young women at the symposiums. Field notes were written at the symposia and shared with the participants for purposes of validation and in order to assist the group to write a report and recommendations from the symposia. The data from the field notes and the interview transcripts were analyzed through a qualitative process of content analysis as described by Lindlof (1995) and Hammersley & Atkinson, (1992). From this analysis, the participants' explanatory framework was identified. The two main concepts of this framework which explain the perspectives of the participants were Bridging Two Cultures and Lokeen Kee Kehan Gay, "What will the community think?" or " How will this reflect on the family?" Within Ill these, other themes emerged: family and cultural values, issues from the perspective of daughters and mothers and primarily related to gender issues, living in two cultures, learning and negotiating boundaries, working out conflicts, health problems, and access to help. The interdependence of Lokeen Kee Kehan Gay and living in two cultures was examined in relation to the function of gender roles in women's lives. Implications for nursing and health practice, education and research concluded this study. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background to the Study 1 Immigration Statistics 1 Settlement and Adjustment Issues 2 Adolescence and Intergenerational Conflict 5 Conceptualization of the Problem 9 Perspective of the Parents 9 Perspective of Professionals and Service Delivery Agencies 12 Perspective of the Media 12 Perspective of Indo-Canadian Adolescents 15 Problem Statement 17 Purpose of the Study 17 Research Questions 18 Theoretical Framework 19 Definition of Terms. 26 Significance of the Study 27 Chapter Summary 28 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Intergenerational Conflict and Health 30 Adolescence. 30 Acculturation 31 Intergenerational Conflict and Families 33 History and Background of the Indo-Canadians in British Columbia 38 Demographics 39 History 39 India 41 Castes 42 Family Structure, Roles, and Interactions of the Indian Family in British Columbia 44 V Religion 48 Education 50 Marriage 50 Diet 52 Filial Piety 53 Family Honour "Izzat" 53 Historical Role of Women in India 54 Summary of Findings in the Literature Review 55 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY Research Design 57 Sample 57 Criteria for Selection of Participants 58 Process For Gaining Entry Into the Community 59 Characteristics of Interviewed Participants and Their Families 60 Characteristics of the Symposium Participants 64 Data Collection 65 Analysis of the Data 67 ) Assumptions and Limitations 68 Accuracy of the Data 69 Ethical Considerations 71 Chapter Summary 72 CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS' PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES Immigration to Canada 76 Balancing or Bridging Two Cultures 78 Participants' Perspectives on Expectations of Adolescents: Reconciling Family and Cultural Values 81 Showing Respect 81 Families: Interfacing Between Two Cultures 86 Living in the Community: What Will People Think? Lokeen Kee Kehan Gay? 89 Daughters and Mothers Define Issues 90 Gender issues: Parental/Societal Preference for Boys 90 Gender issues: The Double Standard 95 Gender issues: Relationships, Friends, Dating 101 Gender issues: Marriage and dowry 108 Strategies and Approaches to Living With the Issues 112 Learning Boundaries 112 Negotiating and Pushing out Boundaries 115 Negotiating and Working Out Conflicts 122 Access to Help 128 vi Chapter Summary 129 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS Balancing or Bridging the Two Cultures 131 Lokeen Kee Kehan Gay? and the Theoretical Framework 136 The Construction of Gender 139 Strategies of Achieving Resolution: Accessing Support 144 Chapter Summary 145 CHAPTER STX: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 147 Conclusions 150 Recommendations For Professional Practice 151 Recommendations for Futher Research 154 REFERENCES 155 APPENDICES Appendix A Interview Questions 164 Appendix B Demographic Data 167 Appendix C. Letter of Explanation 168 Appendix D Consent to Study 170 Appendix E. Volunteers Wanted to Participate in a Study 172 Appendix F. Certificate of Approval 173 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERVIEWED PARTICIPANTS LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 EXPLANATORY MODEL FRAMEWORK: THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF HEALTH FIGURE 2 THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF HEALTH: COMPONENTS OF A HEALTH CARE ENCOUNTER FIGURE 3 PARTICIPANTS' DECISION MAKING MODEL FIGURE 4 BALANCING /BRIDGING TWO CULTURES IX Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people and organizations for their incredible support and assistance to me during this research project: My husband and my son for their cheerful acceptance of many hours away from home and their willingness to be bachelors; my son and daughter-in-law and my mother, who forgave the absence of regular correspondence, and my daughter who sometimes needed me when I wasn't there. Their caring and support encouraged me many times when I thought it would never get done. My dear friends, Amarjit Bhalla and Pammi Thouli, who have over the years patiently explained many things to me about their culture and who gave me valuable insights into the community as a whole. Ranjit Dhari of the West Main Health Unit of the Vancouver Health Board and the Indo-Canadian Women's Organization. Ranjit and the members of the ICWO graciously offered their assistance to me at various stages of this project. Many thanks to all of the young women and families for participating in this project. Without your candour, strength and humour, the project would never have become a reality. Sincere thanks for the assistance and insights provided by Darshan Bains and Jazwant Guzder. You helped put the final perspective into the project. Norma Jean McLaren, who provided a lengthy loan of her thesis to me and much encouragement. My work, I hope, is an extension of hers. Dawn Fyke, Manager of the Capital Regional District Home Nursing Care Program, and all of my colleagues in the Home Nursing Care Program. Jennie Northmore, without whom I might never have finished typing the transcripts. My committee, Professors Joan Anderson, Judith Lynam, and Donelda Ellis. I wish to thank each of you for your guidance through this project and for your patience as I struggled through the process of actually getting the work done while "life happened". Joan, you often were so encouraging when I really needed it. Each of you challenged me to think more deeply as I developed this project. 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background to the Study Immigration Statistics The ethnocultural composition of Canada's population is changing. Since the revision of immigration regulations in 1968, the numbers of persons arriving in Canada from non- western countries have increased significantly. As immigration from countries such as Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia have declined, we are seeing a significant shift in the ethnic composition of new immigrant arrivals to more people from areas such as Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. Of these, immigrants coming from Asia have shown the highest